TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- One of Alabama's incoming freshmen, who were set to report today, has "an issue with NCAA eligibility," coach Nick Saban said before his annual Nick's Kids luncheon at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Saban did not name the player. BamaOnline.com reported in June that offensive tackle Brandon Hill was the only 2012 signee who had yet to be cleared.

"We're still trying to sort through that," Saban said. "We don't know for sure when that's going to get resolved."

Hill was a consensus three-star prospect out of St. George's High in Collierville, Tenn. He most recently measured at 6-foot-6 and 352 pounds.

Without the player hampered by NCAA eligibility issues, Alabama will have 25 of its 26 2012 signees ready to participate at tomorrow's practice, the first of the fall.

Saban's time with reporters largely focused on today's event, which celebrated the $415,644 raised by Nick's Kids this past year. With children of all ages buzzing around "The Zone," Saban called today his "favorite day of the year."

"Nick's Kids is really not about me," he said. "It's really as a part of
extending the legacy of what my dad tried to do, to help young people,
which my mother always wanted me to try to continue relative to my dad's
legacy of trying to help young people. No man stands as tall as when he
stoops to help a child."

He was able to offer a few words on Alabama's standing as the No. 2 team in today's USA Today Sports coaches poll.

"You're always flattered when your team or your program gets recognized
on a national basis," he said. "But you know and I know that it means nothing in terms
of what this team has been able to accomplish or this team can do.
Nobody really knows who the best teams are. That's why we play the
games."

Saban reaffirmed the theme that hovered above Alabama at last month's SEC Media Days. Last year's national championship, he said, was in the past almost as soon as the team returned from New Orleans.

"What we did last year really is not going to help us be successful this year," Saban said. "It's going to create a target for us because everyone's going to shoot for you if you're at the top. Our players need to understand that and need to understand the preparation they need to have so that we do all that we can do to be the best team we can be.

"Success does one of two things to you. It makes you feel entitled and it makes you feel like you don't have to continue to persevere or you sort of get addicted to success and you want to do more and you're willing to work more. Hopefully that's what this team is going to do."